רַבִּי בְּרַכְיָה בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי לֵוִי פָּתַח, וַתִּתֶּן לִי מָגֵן יִשְׁעֶךָ וִימִינְךָ תִסְעָדֵנִי וְעַנְוָתְךָ תַרְבֵּנִי (תהלים יח, לו). כֵּיוָן שֶׁנִּגְלָה עָלָיו, הָיָה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא עוֹמֵד וְאַבְרָהָם יוֹשֵׁב, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְהוּא ישֵׁב. אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא: אַל תִּתְמַהּ, שֶׁאַף לְבָנֶיךָ אֲנִי עוֹשֶׂה כֵן כְּשֶׁיִּהְיוּ יוֹשְׁבִין בְּבָתֵּי כְנֵסִיּוֹת וּבְבָתֵּי מִדְרָשׁוֹת וַאֲנִי נִצָּב עֲלֵיהֶם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: אֱלֹהִים נִצָּב בַּעֲדַת אֵל (תהלים פב, א). R. Berechiah began the discussion in R. Levi’s name with the verse: Thou hast also given me Thy shield, and Thy salvation; and Thy right hand hath holden me up, and Thy condescension hath made me great (Ps. 18:36). The Holy One, blessed be He, stood as He revealed Himself to Abraham, while Abraham remained seated, as it is said: And he sat (Gen. 18:1). The Holy One, blessed be He, declared: Do not be surprised, for I shall do likewise for your descendants. When they sit in their synagogues and their houses of study, I will stand over them, as it is said: God standeth in the congregation of God (Ps. 82:1).
בְּנֹהַג שֶׁבָּעוֹלָם, כְּשֶׁהַתַּלְמִיד חוֹלֶה וְהָרַב הוֹלֵךְ לְבַקְּרוֹ, הַתַּלְמִידִים מְהַלְּכִין תְּחִלָּה וְאוֹמְרִים שְׁלִיחוּת הָרַב לְבֵיתוֹ שֶׁל חוֹלֶה לוֹמַר שֶׁהָרַב מְבַקֵּשׁ לְבַקְּרוֹ. וְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אֵינוֹ כֵן, כְּשֶׁמָּל אַבְרָהָם וְהָיָה מִצְטַעֵר מִן הַמִּילָה, אָמַר לַמַּלְאָכִים לֵילֵךְ לְבַקְּרוֹ. עַד שֶׁהַמַּלְאָכִים הוֹלְכִין, קְדָמָן הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַיֵּרָא אֵלָיו ה', וְאַחַר כָּךְ וַיִּשָּׂא עֵינָיו וַיַּרְא. יֵשׁ עָנָיו גָּדוֹל מִזֶּה? Normally, if a student is ailing, and his master plans to visit him, his fellow students precede the master to their colleague’s home in order to inform him of the visitor who will be coming. The Holy One, blessed be He, did not do so. After Abraham was circumcised, and while he was still suffering the effects of the circumcision, He told the angels: Go, visit him! However, before they departed, the Holy One had preceded them. Thus, it is said: And the Lord appeared unto him (Gen. 18:1), and this is followed by the verse: And he lifted up his eyes and looked, and lo, three men stood over against him (ibid., v. 2). Is there any condescension greater than this?
אָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן פְּדָת, בְּשִׁבְעָה מְקוֹמוֹת הִשְׁוָה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא עַצְמוֹ עִם הַבְּרִיּוֹת הַנְּמוֹכִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: כִּי ה' אֱלֹהֵיכֶם הוּא אֱלֹהֵי הָאֱלֹהִים וַאֲדֹנֵי הָאֲדוֹנִים הָאֵל הַגָּדֹל הַגִּבֹּר וְהַנּוֹרָא אֲשֶׁר לֹא יִשָּׂא פָנִים וְלֹא יִקַּח שֹׁחַד (דברים י, יז). מַה כְּתִיב אַחֲרָיו? עֹשֶׂה מִשְׁפַּט יָתוֹם וְאַלְמָנָה וְאֹהֵב גֵּר וְגוֹ'. וְאוֹמֵר: כִּי רָם ה' וְשָׁפָל יִרְאֶה וְגָבֹהַּ וְגוֹ' (תהלים קלח, ו). וְאוֹמֵר: כִּי כֹה אָמַר רָם וְנִשָּׂא שֹׁכֵן עַד וְקָדוֹשׁ שְׁמוֹ מָרוֹם וְקָדוֹשׁ אֶשְׁכּוֹן וְאֶת דַּכָּא וּשְׁפַל רוּחַ וְגוֹ' (תהלים קלח, ו). וְאוֹמֵר: כֹּה אָמַר ה' הַשָּׁמַיִם כִּסְאִי וְגוֹ' (ישעיה סו, א). וּכְתִיב וְאֶל זֶה אַבִּיט אֶל עָנִי וּנְכֵה רוּחַ וְחָרֵד עַל דְּבָרִי (תהלים סו, ב). וְאוֹמֵר: ה' מֶלֶךְ עוֹלָם וָעֶד אָבְדוּ גוֹיִם מֵאַרְצוֹ (תהלים י, טז). מַה כְּתִיב אַחֲרָיו? תַּאֲוַת עֲנָוִים שָׁמַעְתָּ ה'. וְאוֹמֵר: שִׁירוּ לֵאלֹהִים זַמְּרוּ שְׁמוֹ סֹלּוּ לָרֹכֵב בָּעֲרָבוֹת בְּיָהּ שְׁמוֹ וְעִלְזוּ לְפָנָיו (תהלים סח, ה). מַה כְּתִיב אַחֲרָיו? אֲבִי יְתוֹמִים וְדַיַּן אַלְמָנוֹת. וְאוֹמֵר: עֹשֶׂה שָׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ אֶת הַיָּם וְאֶת כָּל אֲשֶׁר בָּם הַשֹּׁמֵר אֱמֶת לְעוֹלָם, עֹשֶׂה מִשְׁפָּט לַעֲשׁוּקִים וְגוֹ' (תהלים קמו, ו-ז). וְאוֹמֵר: יָתוֹם וְאַלְמָנָה יְעוֹדֵד (תהלים קמו, ט). Our sages stated in the name of R. Eleazar the son of Pedat: The Holy One, blessed be He, likens Himself to the humblest of men in seven places in the Torah. It is written: For the Lord your God, He is God of Gods, and the Lord of Lords, the great God, the mighty and the awful (Deut. 10:17), and this is followed by the verse: He doth execute justice for the fatherless and widow, and loveth the stranger (ibid., v. 18). It says likewise: For though the Lord be high, yet regardeth He the lowly (Ps. 138:6), and also: Thus saith the High and Lofty One that inhabiteth eternity and whose name is holy: I dwell in the high and holy places, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble (Isa. 57:15). Similarly, Scripture says: Thus saith the Lord: The heaven is My throne, and the earth is My footstool (ibid. 66:1), and that is followed by: And on this man will I look, even on him that is poor and of a contrite spirit and trembleth at My word (ibid., v. 2). Elsewhere it is written: The Lord is King forever and ever. The nations are perished out of His land (Ps. 10:16), and that is followed by the verse: Lord, Thou hast heard the desire of the humble (ibid., v. 17). Scripture says: Sing unto God, sing praises to His Name. Extol Him that rideth upon the skies, whose name is the Lord; and exult ye before Him (ibid. 68:5), and after that is written: A father of the fatherless, the judge of the widows (ibid., v. 6). Likewise the verse Who made heaven and earth, the sea and all that in them is, who keepeth truth forever, who executeth justice for the oppressed (Ps. 146:6–7) is followed by: He upholdeth the fatherless, and the widow; and the way of the wicked He maketh crooked (ibid., v. 9).
כֵּיוָן שֶׁמָּל אַבְרָהָם, נִגְלָה עָלָיו הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא בִּכְבוֹדוֹ לְבַקְּרוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַיֵּרָא אֵלָיו ה'. After Abraham was circumcised the Holy One, blessed be He, appeared before him in all His glory to inquire after his health, as it is said: And the Lord appeared unto him.
רַבִּי יִצְחָק נַפְחָא פָּתַח, מִזְבַּח אֲדָמָה וְגוֹ' (שמות כ, כד). וְאוֹמֵר: בְּכָל הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר אַזְכִּיר אֶת שְׁמִי אָבוֹא אֵלֶיךָ וּבֵרַכְתִּיךָ (שמות כ, כד). אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, וּמָה מִי שֶׁהָיָה זוֹבֵחַ עוֹלָה אוֹ שְׁלָמִים אֲנִי נִגְלֶה עָלָיו לְבָרְכוֹ, אַבְרָהָם שֶׁזָּבַח אֶת עַצְמוֹ לְפָנַי עַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה, לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר וַיֵּרָא אֵלָיו ה'. אָמַר רַבִּי אָחָא, בֹּא וּרְאֵה שֶׁנָּתַן הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא כֹּחַ בְּאַבְרָהָם, שֶׁבְּיוֹם שֶׁמָּל אֶת עַצְמוֹ, מָל יִשְׁמָעֵאל וְאֶת כָּל אַנְשֵׁי בֵיתוֹ וְהָיָה הַדָּם מְנַטֵּף. וְכַמָּה הָיוּ יְלִידֵי בֵיתוֹ, שְׁמֹנָה עָשָׂר וּשְׁלֹשׁ מֵאוֹת. מִקְנַת כַּסְפּוֹ עַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַיִּקַּח אַבְרָהָם אֶת יִשְׁמָעֵאל בְּנוֹ וְגוֹ', וּכְתִיב בְּעֶצֶם הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה נִמּוֹל וְגוֹ', וְכָל אַנְשֵׁי בֵיתוֹ וְגוֹ', עַד שֶׁהֶעֱמִיד אַבְרָהָם מִן הָעֲרָלוֹת גִּבְעָה, וְנָהָר שֶׁל דָּם יוֹצֵא מִבֵּיתוֹ. R. Isaac Nappaha began the discussion with the verse An altar of earth shalt thou make Me…. in every place I cause My name to be mentioned, I will come unto thee and bless thee (Exod. 20:21–24). The Holy One, blessed be He, declared: Since I reveal Myself to anyone who brings a burnt offering or a peace offering in order to bless him, how much more so would I reveal Myself to Abraham, who sacrificed himself for Me. Hence, it is said: And the Lord appeared unto Him. R. Aha said: I will prove to you that the Holy One, blessed be He, strengthened Abraham. On the very day he circumcised himself, and while his blood was still flowing, he circumcised Ishmael and all the men of his household. How many men were born in his home? Three hundred and eighteen. (Now if that many were born in his home) how many others must he have purchased, and yet it is written: And Abraham took Ishmael and all that were born in his house, and all that were bought with money (Gen. 17:23), and: In that selfsame day was Abraham circumcised, and Ishmael his son, and all the men of his house born in the house, and bought with money, etc. (ibid., vv. 26–27). (It continued) until Abraham piled up a hill of foreskins, and a river of blood poured forth from his home.
וְאָמַר לָהֶן הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְמַלְאֲכֵי הַשָּׁרֵת: בּוֹאוּ וּנְבַקֵּר אֶת הַחוֹלֶה. אָמְרוּ לוֹ: רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, מָה אֱנוֹשׁ וַתֵּדָעֵהוּ בֶּן אָדָם וַתְּחַשְּׁבֵהוּ. אַתָּה הוֹלֵךְ לִמְקוֹם הַטִּנֹפֶת לְמָקוֹם שֶׁל דָּם וְשֶׁל שֶׁקֶץ וְסִרְיוּת. אָמַר לָהֶם: חַיֵּיכֶם, עָרֵב עָלַי אוֹתוֹ דָם שֶׁל עֲרָלוֹת מִמּוֹר וּלְבוֹנָה. וְכֵן שְׁלֹמֹה אוֹמֵר: עַד שֶׁיָּפוּחַ הַיּוֹם וְנָסוּ הַצְּלָלִים אֵלֶךְ לִי אֶל הַר הַמּוֹר (שה״ש ד, ו). זֶה אַבְרָהָם שֶׁנִּקְרָא מוֹר, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: מֹר וַאֲהָלוֹת קְצִיעוֹת כָּל בִּגְדֹתֶיךָ (תהלים מה, ט). Thereupon the Holy One, blessed be He, said to His ministering angels: Come, let us visit the sick. They replied: Master of the Universe, Lord, what is man, that Thou takest knowledge of him, or the son of man, that Thou makest account of him? (Ps. 144:3). Why should you go into an unclean place, into an area bathed in blood and defilement with an evil stench? He answered: Be assured, the blood of the prepuce is sweeter to Me than myrrh and frankincense. And thus Solomon sang: Until the day breatheth, and the shadows flee away, I will get me to the mountain of myrrh, and to the hill of frankincense (Song 4:6). This verse alludes to Abraham, who was called myrrh, as it is said: Myrrh, aloes, and cassia are all thy garments (Ps. 45:9).